University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
North Carolina Central
Football Hosts North Carolina Central Saturday
September 12, 2023 | Football
GAME INFORMATION
Venue: Rose Bowl Stadium
Kickoff Time: 2:07 p.m. PT
Television: Pac-12 Network
TV Talent: J.B. Long (play-by-play), Max Browne (analyst)
Local Radio (UCLA Sports Network from IMG College): AM 570/AM 1150 (Game will begin on AM 570 and move to AM 1150 at 5:30 p.m. PT)
Local Radio Talent: Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Matt Stevens (analyst), Wayne Cook (sideline)
SiriusXM: Ch. 205
SXM App: Ch. 968
THE MATCHUP
The Bruins, who have compiled a 14-4 record in their most recent 18 outings, return to Rose Bowl Stadium Saturday for a matchup with North Carolina Central (2-0) celebrating Black Excellence. This will be the first meeting on the gridiron between UCLA and the Eagles, who own the second-longest FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) active winning streak at seven. NCCU is ranked 17th in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll. UCLA moved into the Top 25 of both major polls (No. 24 in AP Top 25 and No. 25 in US LBM Coaches Poll) for the first time in 2023 after starting the season 2-0. The Bruins ended the 2022 campaign ranked No. 21 in both polls.
Saturday's battle with NCCU will be televised by Pac-12 Network, with coverage beginning at 2 p.m. PT. The Bruin IMG Radio Network will broadcast the contest, which will also be aired over SiriusXM and the Varsity App.
This is the first time UCLA has lined up against a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in football. North Carolina Central is a public Historically Black University located in Durham, N.C. It was made part of the state system in 1923 and has been part of the University of North Carolina system since 1972. Last season, the Eagles won the Cricket Celebration Bowl over Jackson State to capture the program's fourth HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) national championship.
BLACK EXCELLENCE GAME
The game between UCLA and four-time HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) national champion on the gridiron North Carolna Central will help celebrate Black Excellence. For UCLA fans, that means recognizing one of its best all-time players in Kenny Washington who, played halfback for the Bruins from 1937-39 after a standout career at Lincoln HS in Los Angeles. Members of the Washington family will serve as honorary captains for Saturday's game.
Washington became UCLA's first football All-American in 1939 and was also selected to the All-Conference squad that season. In addition, Washington finished sixth in the balloting for the 1939 Heisman Trophy, presented annually to college football's best player.
Washington was one of four African American players on the 1939 UCLA football team, joining Ray Bartlett, Jackie Robinson and Woody Strode. Most records indicate that there were only a few dozen African American players in all of college football at that time.
From 1940-45, Washington played for the Hollywood Bears of the Pacific Coast Professional Football League, as NFL teams had no interest. When the Cleveland Rams organization moved to Los Angeles, pressure mounted for the team to integrate. The Rams signed Washington and Strode in March 1946. Washington played for the Rams for three years and, despite a series of injuries, was able to lead the league in yards per carry in his second season. Washington retired from the NFL in 1948.
In 1956, Washington became the first UCLA player to be inducted into the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame. He still ranks 20th on the all-time UCLA career rushing list with 1,915 yards after ranking first from 1939 through 1972. Washington is also among the all-time Bruin leaders in total offense with 3,206 yards. He led the team in passing and rushing three straight seasons and was a charter member of the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984.
The Los Angeles Rams recently produced short film Kingfish: The Story of Kenny Washington, alongside creative marketing agency The BLK Originals and award-winning video production company Loyd Visuals, to share Washington's undertold story.
AT A GLANCE
โข This is the third straight season in which UCLA, at No. 24 AP and No. 25 Coaches, has entered the major polls. The Bruins peaked at No. 9 (AP) last season and No. 13 (both) in 2021.
โข UCLA has won seven of its past eight regular-season non-conference matchups and the most recent five, including this season's wins at San Diego State and against Coastal Carolina.
โข UCLA most recently recorded a sweep of its non-conference regular-season games in 2022, which was the first time it had done so since 2015.
โข UCLA is 14-4 overall in its past 18 games dating back to the 2021 season, 9-2 in its past 11 true road games and now 11-5 at Rose Bowl Stadium the past two-plus seasons.
โข The Bruins have won their past eight September games dating back to a win against Stanford Sept. 25, 2021.
โข In his 11-plus seasons as a coach at UCLA (five-plus as head coach) and Oregon (four as head coach and two as assistant coach), Chip Kelly has had seven of his teams rank among the nation's top 25 in total offense. Kelly has had eight rushers on his teams rank among the nation's top 15. Nine of those teams have rated among the top 20 in the nation in scoring average.
โข QB Dante Moore threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start at SDSU. The three scoring strikes tied the school true-freshman record (also Josh Rosen and Cade McNown). In Game 1, he came off the bench in the second quarter and took 30 snaps, connecting on consecutive passes for two scores through the air, albeit a quarter apart, as the first came in the second quarter and the second was in the fourth. He totaled 143 passing yards in the win versus CCU.
โข Moore is the first Bruin quarterback of any class to make his first career start on the road and lead the team to victory since 2012 (Brett Hundley at Rice).
โข The Bruins forced three turnovers by both SDSU and CCU, which tied last year's UCLA single-game season high. A Bruin team most recently recorded more than three takeaways in a game at Washington State during the 2019 campaign (six). UCLA is tied for third in the nation with five interceptions. UCLA held SDSU scoreless across its final eight possessions. The Bruins held CCU scoreless in its last six possessions of that game.
โข UCLA has won its past 12 games when holding the opponent under 100 yards of rushing offense. SDSU finished with 63 yards rushing on the night (CCU had 56).
โข UCLA has shut out each of its first two opponents in the fourth quarter, outscoring them by a combined 13-0 margin.
โข UCLA has started the season with 10 tackles for loss in back-to-back games. It compiled just two games total with at least 10 TFLs from 2020-22. UCLA team had most recently accomplished the feat in back-to-back games during the 2009 campaign, reaching 10 against Arizona State (Nov. 21) and at Washington State (Nov. 14).
TEAM NOTES
โข This is UCLA's first meeting with a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. It is UCLA's first game against a school from the state of North Carolina since it battled both Duke and North Carolina State during the 1960 season.
โข UCLA has won its first two games of the season the past three campaigns (started 6-0 in 2022).
โข UCLA will be looking to win all three of its non-conference regular-season games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2015 and 2014. In 2022, UCLA defeated South Alabama, Alabama State and Bowling Green.
โข UCLA is ranked in both polls for the first time this season, No. 24 in the AP Top 25 and No. 25 in the US LBM Coaches Poll. The Bruins finished 2022 ranked No. 21 in each poll. The Bruins rose as high as No. 9 in the 2022 AP Top 25 after beginning the season unranked. It marked UCLA's high point in the AP poll since 2015, when it peaked at No. 7.
โข Dante Moore became the first UCLA true-freshman starter at quarterback last Saturday at San Diego State since Dorian Thompson-Robinson started Game 2 of the 2018 season at No. 6 Oklahoma.
โข UCLA has now won 12 straight games when giving up fewer than 100 yards rushing. The Bruins gave up 63 rushing yards to SDSU and 56 to Castal Carolina. The Bruins held five 2022 opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing (California - 67, Washington - 65, Colorado - 51, Alabama State - 87 and BGSU - 37). The Bruins also held five opponents to fewer than 100 yards rushing in 2021 (Cal - 92, UW - 83, Stanford - 67, LSU - 49 and Hawai'i - 26).
โข The Bruins have now won their past eight September games played since a Sept. 25, 2021 win against Stanford.
โข Under head coach Chip Kelly, UCLA is 22-6 when it rushes for at least 200 yards in a game.
โข UCLA rushed for 254 yards at SDSU for its first 200-yard rush game of 2023. Last season, the Bruins compiled nine 200-yard rushing games, which was the most since the 1995 squad also produced nine.
โข Players who saw their first action as Bruins in the first two contests were RB Anthony Adkins, S Jordan Anderson, WR Kyle Ford, K Blake Glessner, DB Josiah Gonzales, DL Jake Heimlicher, OG Spencer Holstege, OT Khadere Kounta, TE Moliki Matavao, QB Dante Moore, LB Oluwafemi Oladejo, P Will Powers, QB Collin Schlee, RB Carson Steele, WR J.Michael Sturdivant, OG Jake Wiley and DL Keanu Williams.
